Is the key to meeting downtown Raleigh's school capacity needs to look to its past?

As noted in today's article, the Wake County school system is in preliminary talks about reacquiring and reopening the Thompson School and Crosby-Garfield School. Both schools, located in Southeast Raleigh near downtown, were declared surplus and turned over to the county a long time ago.

Wake County Schools Superintendent Tony Tata said the new student assignment plan showed that they need to increase school capacity in and near downtown Raleigh.

The new budget being released this afternoon by Wake County Superintendent Tony Tata will understandably get most of the focus at the school board work session.

But another topic that will get discussion is whether the school board should keep its current committee structure. Much of the issue revolves around whether it's a drain on staff time for them to be involved in the various committees.

It's the latest chapter in the debate over whether the board should operate with committees, or at least the standing ones.

UPDATE

More details later.

Citing financial costs, the Wake County school board has rejected today going with a new design for the board meeting room that will be built in Cary.

Staff had presented last week a design that drew concerns from some board members, notably Debra Goldman, because it would result in some audience members facing the backs of board members. The board table was closer to the middle of the room.

Staff presented a new plan today that would put the board table at the back of the room so that everyone in the audience would face the board. It would also have provided 260 seats, 30 more than the one presented last week.

Would you be offended if Wake County school board members sat with their backs to you during board meetings?

That's what the blueprints now have in place for the school board room that will be located at the Crossroads complex in Cary that will be the new home for Central Administration. That design can be changed but it would cost money and further delay the move from Wake Forest Road in Raleigh.

But the changes could occur because some board members don't like the design of the new board room.

UPDATE

The discussion of the board room layout has been added to Tuesday's work session agenda before the discussion of the student reassignment plan.

What's the best way for the Wake County school board to spend $59 million in school construction savings?

As noted in today's North Raleigh News article, staff have recommended using the $59 million to build two new elementary schools that could open in 2013. Staff have identified three sites: U.S. 1 in Wake Forest near the Franklin County border, the closed North Wake Landfill in North Raleigh and Scotts Ridge Elementary in Apex.

But administrators aren't recommending which two out of that trio should be selected. Staff have asked the board to discuss the issue at Tuesday's committee of the whole meeting.

A political battle is looming over the Wake County school board wanting to buy the land off Rolesville and Quarry roads for the new Rolesville High School.

As noted in today's article, Wake County Commissioner Stan Norwalk and Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker are leading the effort to get the commissioners to reject the land purchase. They want the school board to go back to the Forest Ridge High site.

Norwalk is calling the abandonment of Forest Ridge for the Rolesville site a case of rewarding people who support the new majority's ideology. (He's talking about Rolesville Mayor Frank Eagles and school board member Chris Malone and not the owner of the site being purchased, St. Lawrence Homes.)

When is the right time for the next Wake County school construction bond referendum to be held?

As noted in today's article, school board chairman Ron Margiotta thinks waiting until 2012 would improve the chances of the bond issue passing in this economic climate. But board member John Tedesco would prefer a 2011 October referendum, which would put it on the same ballot as the school board races.

Tedesco thinks people will like the new community assignment zones so much they'll want to vote for the bond. He thinks this will also improve the board majority's chances of picking up seats. 

Wake County school board members and administrators are stressing the potential financial savings from moving the district's HQ from Raleigh to Cary.

As noted in today's North Raleigh News article, the estimate is the move to consolidate most of Wake's admin space to Crossroads Corporate Park will save $29 million over 20 years. In addition, most of the savings, around $20 million, would come in the next five years by selling three buildings, including the main admin building on Wake Forest Road.

"It's a good professional deal that will save the taxpayers money during a difficult time," said Chris Malone, chairman of the school board's facilities committee.

If you're one of the people who've wondered if a four-day work week would be the way to deal with school budget cuts in Wake County, it's not considered a viable option yet.

Chief Business Officer David Neter laid out eight different options Wednesday they said had been suggested by people, including school board members, for coping with $20 million in state cuts. Those eight options were all rejected for various reasons.

Neter said it would take a change in state law to allow Wake to move to a four-day work week. State law requires schools to have both 180 days and 1,000 hours of instruction.

It looks like you can add the Forest Ridge High site to the list of battles that will divide new and old school board members starting in December.

As noted in today's article, the current board members, with the exception of Ron Margiotta, told staff to go ahead with plans for using the Forest Ridge High site. But Chris Malone said Wake should be prepared for a change in that plan when he and other new board members take office.

"They should have stopped today," Malone said. "We're going to push ahead and make them stop it."